Folding blind.



FOLDING BLIND. `APPLIoAT1oNnL11D 11119.14, 1911.

Patented Sqpt. 10,1912.

UNITED STATES JOHN F. LESSING, 0F ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN.

FOLDING BLIND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led August 24, 1911.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

Serial No. 645,888.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. LEssING, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and residentof St. Joseph, Berrien county, Michigan, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Blinds, ofwhich the following is a specification.`

My invention relates to blinds ofthe kind in which a number of slats areflexibly connected together, to form a curtain, and in which means e'provided', such as cords, for tilting the s ats to form a series ofopeningsbetween them, as well as for drawing the slats close together toraise the blind, a curtain or window shade of this character beingordinarily known as a Venetian blind.

The 'object of my invention is' to provide improved means for connectingtogether the ends of the slats to keep them in proper relation to eachother, and to insure the proper operation thereof when the blind isopened and closed, or raised and lowered, as will hereinafter more fullyappear.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a Venetianblind embodying the principles of` my invention. Fig. 2 1s a sideelevation or edge view of a portion of said blind, on an enlarged scale,showing the links by4 which the slats are connected together. Fig. 3 isa vertical sec-y tional view, in the plane of the blind, of one sideportion thereof. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the slats separatedand'tilted to overlap. Fig. 5 is a detail section on line 5 5 in Fig. 4.Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of the links by which the slats areconnected together.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a suitable number of slats Aof wood or other material. The opposite ends of each slat are providedwith pivots a, which may be ordinary flat headed nails driven into theends of the wooden slats, and which are nearer the upper edges of theslats than the lower edges thereof. The bar B is adapted to be supportedin any suit-v able manner, and has its ends provided with similar nailsb. Each slat is provided at its lower edge with a screw eye a', andthese eyes are connected together by a cord a2, which latter is threadedthrough screw eyes b and .b2 on the bar B and hangs down at the innerside of the blind. The lower edges of the slatsl A are also provided, ateach side of the blind, withscrew eyes a, and

E opposite these the said slats have their upper edges provided withscrew eyes at. Outg side cords a5 extend downward through the screw eyesa3 and are fastened to the last golnets on the lower edge of thelowermost s a through the screw eyes a* and are fastened g' to the lastones on the upper edges of the l said lowermost slat. through screw eyesb3 and b* on the bar B l and hang down outside of the blind. The 5 cordsat run throuo'h screw eyes (not shown) Inside cords a6 extend downwardThe cords a's run on the bar B and xhang down inside of the blind. Bythe cord a2 the slats can be tilted to provide a series of wide openingsbetween them, or to close the said o nin l in the well known mannery ofVenetian blinds. By the cords a and a the slats can be drawn upward andthus packed closely and solidly to ether, to raise the blind.

The lin s C are employed for connecting together the ends of the slats.Each link has a slot c that engages the pivots on two of the slats, anda rectangular loop c at the lower end thereof. rIhe upper end c2 of eachlink is bent outward, and the middle portion c3 of each link has a bend,whereby the upper end of each link is in a. plane outside of thevertical plane ofthe lower end thereof. The loops c' extend outwardly,and each loop is adapted to receive the u per ends of several linksbelow, when t e i blind is raised. When the blind is lowered, then eachloop only contains the up r end of the next lower link; and at this tlmethe blind as a Whole is slightly flexible, as the links are capable ofslight, lateral deflection. This flexibility, however, decreases as theslats are drawn together, as atsuch time each link is embraced by aplurality of said loops. Thus these loops guide the overla ping links,and in one sense the links te escope, when the blind is raised, topermit the slats to come close together. The upper ends of the uppermostlinks engage the nails b, whereby the series of overlapping linkssupport the blinds. In this way the cords a2, a and as do notl supportthe blind, but are simply used for manipulating the slats thereof-thatis to say,` do not support the blind when lowered. When raised, then theweight of the blind is sustained by the cords a and a.

By thus vconnecting the slats at the ends thereof, the operation of theblind is much more certain,' as the slats are held at all times inproper relation to each other, and the blind is, therefore, much moresatisfactory in use. By having the pivots q nearer the upper edges thanthe lower edges of the slats, the said slats gravitate to uprightposition when the cord a2 is released, thus causing the slats tooverlapAand close the blind. As their upper ends are outturned, the links slideupward over the pivots without catching. Also', the blind can be raisedonly partially, ifasu'ch is desired.

What I claiin as my invention is: f.

1. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats havin their ends provided withpivots, slotte links engaging said ivots to connect the said slats,means slats about their pivots, and means for drawing the slats closetogether, said links being arranged to overlap.

2. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats 'having -their ends providedwith pivots,

slotted 4links engaging said ivots to connect the said slats, means ortilting the slats about their pivots, and means for drawing the slatsclose together, said links being arranged to overlap, and one or more ofsaid links being provided with guides, each guide adapted to receive theupper ends of the plurality of said links when the slats are drawntogether.

3. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats havin their ends provided withpivots, slotte links engaging said ivots to connect the said slats,means orptilting the ,slats about their pivots, means for drawing theslats close together, said links being arranged to overlap, andthe saidpivots being nearer the upper edges of said slats than the lower edgesthereof, whereby said slats rotate by gravity on the lower ends of thelinks, to close the spaces between the slats.

4. In a Venetian blind, Va series of slats having their ends .providedwith pivots, slotted'links engaging said ivots to con-v nect the saidslats, means or tilting the slats about their pivots, means for drawingthe slats close together. said links being arranged to overlap, and theslots of said links being of such length that the links overlap morethan two deep when the slats are drawn together. l

Y 5. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats having their ends providedwith pivots, slotted links engaging said ivots to connect the saidslats, means or tilting-the slats about their pivots, means forrawing'the slats close together, said links being arranged to overlap,and each link being provided with means for holding the links inalinement when. the slats are drawn together.

6. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats having their ends providedwith pivots,

or tilting the l slotted links engaging said pivots. to connect the saidslats, means for 'tilting the l slats about their pivots, means fordrawing the slats close together, said links being arranged to overlap,and a plurality of said links being each provided at its lower end witha rectangular loop for receiving the upper ends of a pluralit' of links,which loops permit the series o links to contract endwise, but hold thesainer against lateral movement.

'7. In a Venetian blind, a series of slats havin their ends Aprovidedwith pivots, slotte links engaging said ivots to connect the said slats,means or tilting the slats about their pivots, means for drawing theslats close together, said links being arranged to overlap, each linkengagin two of said pivots, and the upper end o each link beingout-turned to slide upward over the links above.

8. A Venetian blind having the slats thereof connected together at theirends-by a link mechanism, and means for rotating the slats, said slatsoverlapping at their edges when the blind is down and fully closed.

9. The improved Venetian blind, substantially as shown and described,comprising slats pivoted at their ends, whereby each'slat is rotatableabout a horizontal and longitudinal axis, said slats overlapping attheir edges when the blind is down and y fully closed.

v 10. A Venetian blind having the' slats thereof lconnected together attheir ends by a link mechanism, said mechanism comprising links whichoverlap each other.

` 11. A Venetian blind having the slats thereof connected together attheir ends by a link mechanism, said mechanism comprisipg slotted links,and pivots movable in said s ots.

12. A l Venetian blind having the slats thereof connected together attheir ends by a link mechanism, said mechanism comprising links, andeach slat being pivoted at each end in only a single link, whereby eachslat is capable of rotation about a longitudinal axis to open and closethe blind.

13.- A Venetian blind having the slats thereof connected together attheir ends by a link mechanism, said mechanism comprising links uponwhich the ends of the slats are pivoted, whereby each slat is capable ofrotation about a longitudinal axis to open and close the blind.

14. A Venetian blind having the slats thereof connected together attheir ends by a link mechanism, said mechanism comprising links whichtelescope with each other when the blind is raised.

15. A Venetian blind having the slats4 ing links which interlock tost'iien the blind as a whole.4

16. A Venetian blind having the overlapping slats thereof connectedtogether at.

'maintain the overlapping relation thereof.

17. A Venetian blind .havingl the slats thereof connected together attheir ends by a link mechanism, sald mechanism comprising links, andeach Slat being pivoted at each end in only a single link, said slatsoverlapping a t ,thein edges when the blind is down and closed, and saidmechanism preventing separation of said slats beyond thel distancenecessary to maintain the over-` lapping relation thereof.

18. A Venetian blind having theL slats thereof connected ytogether attheir ends by a link mechanism, said mechanism comprising linksuponwhich the ends of the slats are pivoted, said slats overlapping at.

their edges when the blind is down and closed, and said mechanismpreventing separation of said slats beyond the distance necessary tomaintain the overlapping relationthereof.

i `Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, 'this 16th' day of August, 1911.

l JOHN E. LE'ssING. A

` Witnesses: GEO; SCHMIDT, S. LEWIS.

